Better than me
by LittleBloodyJ
Summary: The flames lick the sorcerer’s feet as they circle around him, playing as they don’t burn but simply grow. The sorcerer hasn’t screamed once since he was accused, not in the torture, not when betrayed, not once has he allowed himself to scream.


**Summary: T**he flames lick the sorcerer's feet as they circle around him, playing as they don't burn but simply grow. The sorcerer hasn't screamed once since he was accused, not in the torture, not when betrayed, not once has he allowed himself to scream.  
**Warning: **Angst (yeah the usual stuff) and *spoiler* the making of Dark!Merlin. :) I own nothing!  
**A/N: H**ey! My first Melin fanfic! This is intended as a prequel to a story I might post on here called 'When the fire turns to ice'. Hope you all enjoy... (Ps. It's 00.38 am sorry for any mistakes I'm too tyred to care).

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They pull the sorcerer towards the place he'll be killed- he doesn't put up a fight and he doesn't beg. His walk is strong and his eyes are cold as he stares at the King and the prince, yet in the pits of hell that are his icy blue eyes there seems to be an unsteady calmness that just can't be sane. The Prince shivers, not from the cold, but from those eyes that catch his eyes (just for a second) and it is the prince that looks away first.  
The King, Uther, is the first to speak, "Any last words sorcerer?"  
The sorcerer raises an eyebrow as he moves his gaze from the son to the father, "Quite a few actually but nothing that can't wait." He tilts his head and smiles, yet Arthur can't help but move a tiny bit back (not enough for anyone to notice). The smile that is on the sorcerer's face is _anything _but reassuring, it's the type of smile that doesn't belong on the sorcerer's boyish face because it's a cruel smile, the kind that makes even Uther's heart speed up with fear. Both sorcerer and prince stand tall, neither regretting their actions- at least, not on the outside. Uther's hand goes down and the fires are lit.

The flames lick the sorcerer's feet as they circle around him, playing as they don't burn but simply grow. The sorcerer hasn't screamed once since he was accused, not in the torture, not when betrayed, not once has he allowed himself to scream and he's not going to now and that makes things even harder for those who watch. There is intense anger on people's faces (even some of the knights) but it's not directed to the sorcerer, all the anger is directed to the king and prince of Camelot. Cold blooded murderers and even worse, too overpowered by their hatred of magic to see they have destroyed the only good that remained and they have unleashed a force stronger than any of them. The fathers hate and the sons urge to please, two sins that might end Camelot. They all know it.  
The sorcerer smiles almost kindly to the shaking mess of a boy that lights the fire, he knows the boy has no choice and everyone knows that the sorcerer doesn't blame any of the men that unwillingly caused him harm. No, he's not the type of person that holds a grudge.... at least he wasn't before the sun set last night when it all began.

Arthur shuts his eyes and does the first childish thing he's knowingly done in years. He silently hopes to wake up and that Merlin's clumsy _good_ _morning_ will reach his ears soon. He hopes against hope harder than he's ever hoped for anything in the one second he has his eyes shut, but when he opens them with unsteady calmness all he sees is flames and the sorcerer staring up at him. He won't show it but his hands are shaking and his jaw is clenched tightly as he observes anything but the sorcerer.  
"You had a chance to save your kingdom Uther," The sorcerer is still calm yet his forehead is plastered with sweat from the heat, "With your choices you do anything but save your kingdom."  
"You are hardly in the position to make threats," Uther's voice is mainly amused but he's nervous, there's something about this sorcerer that makes him nervous and whatever it is it's big.  
The sorcerer lets out a small bark of a laugh, bitter and cruel, before simply saying, "I am merely observing the facts- I won't help those who want to kill you, your son and your kingdom but I won't make any effort to save any of you." The sorcerer seems to stand that bit taller, "Neither of you regret your actions yet?" The question is taunting, like putting salt on a fresh cut.  
Arthur lets his father answer, of course he says no but Arthur's eyes say yes. He doesn't want the kingdom to be destroyed but is it worse than working with a sorcerer?  
"What about you Arthur? No words to speak?" The sorcerer rolls his neck again, not even flinching as by doing so he puts pressure on his wounds. "So many lies already going around in your family, care to add more?"  
Arthur steps forwards, "What are you talking about?"  
The flames lick the sorcerer once more before he closes his eyes once again, "The death of your mother is one. I believe at one point you knew the answer but then believed lies over it." They both know what the sorcerer is talking about and it is clear as a flash of horror covers Arthur's face, "But never mind the past, we were talking about the future." The next few seconds seem to pass in slow motion as the flames split in two and the ropes that had held him still fall to the ground.

The sorcerer steps forwards and if Arthur though his smile was scary before now must be a thousand times worse. The few arrows that were fired at him float in the air and his eyes flash black (just for a second) as they turn in the air and fly, all missing but one, which imbeds itself into Uther's shoulder. Arthur spins to his father's help and the sorcerer simply watches. Nobody makes a move to stop him because they know if he wanted to kill Uther he'd be dead. The silence is enough to make you death.  
The sorcerer doesn't let any emotions run onto his face, "I wish I could wish you the best of luck and mean it but... I can't." He shrugs, "If I were you I'd sleep with both eyes wide open because when it comes, it'll hit you full force." And like that the flames swallow the sorcerer and all is left of him is the broken rope lying in the hungry flames.

Tonight Arthur won't be able to sleep as images of the sorcerer being dragged away fill his mind, the look of pure betrayal on his face as he looked into Arthur's eyes. Tonight Arthur will dream of the senseless torture they put the sorcerer through and he will dream of the sorcerer as he was before the good in him was killed off and replaced with madness. Someone once told him the fifth kind of madness came from the body being... Arthur will shiver as he realises exactly w_hat _was done to the sorcerer and he will ignore the small voice in his head telling him the sorcerer wasn't just a sorcerer. Without even knowing it Arthur will whisper the sorcerer's name into the thin air as a single tear will run down his face.

'_Merlin'_

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Please review and tell me what you think (Should I post _When flames turn to ice_?) No flames. I hate flames, they make me cry. :(

**Love,  
J.**


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